Rice Village in Houston

Rice Village is situated about a half-mile west of the center of Rice University‘s campus and has been one of Houston’s oldest shopping and dining destinations since the 1930s. It is an unplanned, high density mix of old and new retail stores – and it might be this organic growth that gives this pedestrian-friendly area and almost European charm.

The core “Rice Village” extends over ten city blocks, defined by University Boulevard, Kirby Drive, Rice Boulevard, and Morningside Drive but expanded to a total of sixteen blocks over the years.
Currently, it hosts over 300 stores: High-end clothing stores and the nation-wide retail venues are represented but many of the stores are small, eclectic shops and boutiques.

Apart from the shopping opportunities, Rice Village is also home to some of the best and most varied places to eat in Houston, featuring a wide range of food from all over the world. Italian, French, Indian, Mediterranean, Spanish, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine are represented.

And then there are the outdoor bars/cafes are on Morningside Dr. where you will find an eclectic mix of college crowd, hip baby boomers, and international visitors.